How can you use fitness accessories for better results at the gym? Most people focus only on workouts and diet, but this is a big mistake. Building muscle and cutting fat requires a comprehensive approach. The area that you ignore will be the area that sabotages your fitness goals.
A chain always breaks at its weakest link. The weak link in the human body is the hands and feet. Therefore, you must protect and support your weakest link to get the most from your workout. Here is a list of the best fitness accessories to get the best results in the gym:
Gloves are first on the list because they protect your hands and support them, making it easier to grip and lift heavier weights.
It doesn’t take much for you to destroy your hands while lifting weights. This is because you use your hands to lift the weight on the most significant lifts. In addition, manufacturers make barbells and dumbbells of metal, and metal can crack bones and tear flesh. For this reason, investing in a good pair of weightlifting gloves is wise.
Another reason gloves are one of the essential fitness accessories is that the handgrip allows you to transfer power from your body to the weight. In addition, some crucial lifts rely on the handgrip, such as the deadlift, bench press, shoulder press, and pull-ups, to lift and control the weight. Thus a quality pair of weightlifting gloves protect your hands while allowing you to get better results at the gym.
Number two on the list is hand hooks, especially if you have small hands and find it difficult to wrap your hands around the bar.
Some lifts like the deadlift, reverse deadlift, and lat pull-downs fail at the hands a few reps before the primary muscle group. This is because the hands and feet are the ends of your extremities and your genetic ceiling. Your hands and feet define how much weight you can lift. Therefore, when you remove them from the equation, the primary muscle group gets worked to its fullest potential.
Hooks are essential accessories when you are looking to shatter a plateau. Instead of stopping when the weight gets too heavy for your hands to hold on to the deadlift, use hooks to hold the weight and let your muscles determine how far you can go. It would be best if you used clips on barbell exercises. They do not work on dumbbell exercises.
Number three on the fitness accessory list is hand straps. You should use fitness accessories on a barbell or dumbbell exercise.
The straps help you hold dumbbells for a longer time. You can use straps for the farmer’s walk and walking lunges. You can also use them with shoulder exercises like the shrug and lateral raises. Using straps with dumbbells lets your shoulders and legs feel the burn even when your hands fail.
Of course, you can also use straps with barbells and other equipment. The key to developing and building larger muscles is ensuring they get the right amount of work. People with larger hands can build bigger muscles because they can grip the weight long enough to work the primary muscles. Unfortunately, it is a scientific fact that your hands will fail long before your arms, shoulders, back, legs, and chest.
Number four on the fitness accessory list is socks. While pads do a great shop of protecting your body, it’s best not to expose your raw sheens to metal.
Socks are among the best fitness accessories because they protect the legs and allow you to focus on the lift instead of safety. Unfortunately, the deadlift, reverse deadlift, and leg extensions expose the legs to metal. The deadlift, in particular, can tear up your sheens.
Also, socks do an outstanding job of keeping your feet comfortably in place while you lift. Primarily they prevent sweat from making your feet slippery and protect your skin against the fabric in your shoes. Also, socks ensure your feet are more secure in your shoes, preventing your feet from moving around. The socks should reach your knees when you perform the deadlift and leg extensions.
Shoes are one of the best fitness accessories. What could be more important than your feet? They allow you to move and stand.
Your feet, like your hands, determine your genetic ceiling. Your legs and butt use your feet to gain power by pressing your feet into the ground. Your shoes give you the traction to push into the ground and have more control of your body as you do it. The right shoes facilitate the power transfer from your muscles to the weight.
It’s best to wear weightlifting shoes, which help you do better in the weight room. The correct shoes also give you more stability and help protects your ankles. In addition, weightlifting shoes give you more control during the lift, which translates to better form and muscle definition. You use your feet during every lift, including the bench press, deadlift, squat, and shoulder press.
Number five on the list of the best fitness accessories is ankle straps. While weights are highly effective, the cable machine provides constant resistance on the eccentric portion of the lift.
Ankle straps allow you to perform kickbacks, glute workouts, leg extensions and curls, and hip abductors. The cable machine provides constant resistance and enables you to stand on your feet while performing some of the most crucial leg exercises. When you perform exercises standing up, you engage your core. In addition, the resistance the cable provides forces the abs to balance your body.
Final Word Fitness Accessories – How to Use for Results in the Gym
Fitness accessories help you perform better in the weight room. The gym is full of equipment and metal. To be effective in the gym, you need the right tools. The best fitness accessories help you stay safe and excel in the weight room.
Finally, the right exercises done the right way helps you to get better results faster. If you or someone you know is looking to improve your health, share this article on Facebook or Twitter so that others can learn more about self-care.